Police Chief Mike Reese, who announced his retirement today, has earned some kind words this afternoon from a frequent sparring partner on management, discipline, and labor issues: Officer Daryl Turner, president of the Portland Police Association.

Turner, in a note sent to his rank-and-file members—sergeants, officers, and detectives—praised Reese for leading the police bureau in a "positive direction" and talked about his "personal touch," before going on to note some of the accomplishments other have called out: Reese's fortitude during the federal police reform negotiations and his delivery of a new training facility, something that eluded chiefs for years.

But Turner's comments on Reese and he DOJ settlement were more interesting than those of, say, Mayor Charlie Hales because of the nuance they highlighted. Turner correctly remembered that Reese made a distinction between going along with the feds—who accused our cops of engaging in a pattern or practice of using excessive force against people with mental illness—and agreeing that what they said was correct.

Reese, back in 2012, when those findings were announced, was clear that he didn't personally agree with those findings even as he pledged "no daylight" between the feds and the cops when it comes to reforms.

"He stood his ground with the USDOJ by asserting that he did not agree that Portland Police officers had engaged in a pattern or practice of excessive force when dealing with the mentally ill," Turner wrote.

The graciousness from Turner—who's been PPA president for all but the first few months of Reese's tenure as chief—belies a handful of spats over the years.

Most famously, Turner accused the chief of conspiring with then-Mayor Sam Adams in 2010 to punish the cop, Ron Frashour, who shot and killed Aaron Campbell, with the reward being Reese's promotion. Turner accused the chief's office of cooking a training review to ensure Frashour would be canned. The PPA also leaked transcripts of Reese's testimony in an arbitration hearing that eventually overturned Frashour's dismissal.

An investigation by the city auditor's office, demanded by the PPA, found those accusations unfounded.

Interestingly, Reese's successor, Larry O'Dea, used that investigation to accuse the PPA of trying to cook outcomes and tamper with witnesses, implying that Turner had intervened in the Frashour matter before arbitration. "I'll tell you it just felt like I was hearing one orchestrated story in there," O'Dea told investigators, "and not individual opinions." (Turner's statement praises O'Dea, too.)

Later, Turner argued that the federal reforms Reese was pursuing, especially with regards to the use of force, would make it difficult for officers to work. He blamed a spate of freak injuries on the talk of reforms.

Reese answered questions about that tension in a long sitdown with me in January 2013.

"Daryl and I get along very well," he said. "There's always going to be tension between labor and management. He has a role to play. He has a bully pulpit as the elected union president. Some of it's because we are in a contract year, so he's positioning for a contract. You'll have to ask Daryl why he's messaging things that way. Certainly, just on a personal level, Daryl and I like each other. We get along very well."

Turner's full statement is after the jump.

Today, Chief Mike Reese announced his retirement effective January 2nd, 2015, ending a tenure that helped move the Portland Police Bureau in a positive direction. Chief Reese brought a personal touch to the job unlike any chief I've worked for in the past. He navigated a tough political landscape that is unique to the City of Portland. He stood his ground with the USDOJ by asserting that he did not agree that Portland Police officers had engaged in a pattern or practice of excessive force when dealing with the mentally ill. Also, Chief Reese's goal to bring a state of the art training facility to the Bureau became a reality with the opening of the new Portland Police Training Facility last month.

Personally, I want to thank Chief Reese for the many collaborative, productive, and insightful conversations we've had in resolving both major and minor issues that we've faced as leaders of our respective organizations. At times, we have disagreed about issues, sometimes vigorously. Regardless of our position on an issue, we've always ended our conversations with a handshake and a smile.

The PPA welcomes Assistant Chief Larry O'Dea as the new Chief of Police. Over the years, Chief O’Dea and I have worked on a number of issues. We look forward to working with Chief O’Dea in the same collaborative manner as we have with Chief Reese.

Labor and management should have one common goal in mind: to make the organization the best possible workplace for its employees. Achieving this goal benefits the community by helping our members serve with dedication, integrity, and compassion. Although there is still much work to do, Chief Reese moved us closer to our common goal and I hope Chief O’Dea will continue working with us in seeking to achieve that goal.